Native American

When white people first arrived on the American continent, there were over two thousand different tribes, representing some 600 ethnic groups, in an area ranging from the jungles of Central America through the US plains to the Arctic lands of Canada. Despite this diversity, they nevertheless had a spirituality in common. This was based around the one creator or Great Spirit, often seen as represented in mother earth and father sky. The spirits of ancestors gave protection and guidance, and animals acted as teachers, protective spirits and allies. A universal symbol was the circle or "medicine wheel". Native Americans, in common with native peoples all over the world, lived in close contact with nature and the spiritual world, and every aspect of their lives was dedicated to maintaining this contact and nourishing the power that created them.